Combination: Crime and Punishment
by animationgirlKIA
Summary: In which the King of Ikebukuro and the Queen of Saika blend together beyond their expectations. A collection of Shizuo/Anri one-shots. [UPDATES WILL BE SPORADIC.]
1. Encounter

**Warning: Ephebophilia.**

Note: For those who are wondering about the title's meaning, it's based on the Japanese art site Pixiv's tag of Shizuo/Anri, commonly known as **罪と罰コンビ** \- roughly translating to " _Crime and Punishment Combination_." Other than that, another tag for these two is also known as **静杏** (roughly translating to " _ShizuAn_ "), but I thought using the first tag as a title was far more interesting than the latter.

Durarara (c) Ryohgo Narita

Fanfiction (c) Me

* * *

The first time she laid eyes on him, she thought that this was the man she shouldn't come across.

" ** _IZAYA-KUN_**..."

What laid upon her was a man in a bartender suit, looking as ferocious as ever.

"Didn't I tell you to never set foot in Ikebukuro ever again, **_Izaya-kun_**?"

Prior to his sudden entrance, the bartender threw a trashcan at his victim. Miraculously, the victim got up with no signs of grievous harm, but he did show some signs of bruising and limping.

"Shizu-chan. Weren't you working at West Gate?"

The blonde bartender retorted the inquiry. "I got fired ages ago. And I told you not to call me that. My name is _Shizuo Heiwajima_."

" _Shizuo._ "

Witnessing all of this, the bespectacled girl felt something within her, but it wasn't by her own admission.

The conversation between the bartender and his attempted victim continued. "Oh man, Shizu-chan, you still mad that I got you blamed for that thing?"

"I ain't mad. I just wanna kick your ass."

" _Shizuo Heiwajima_... _is strong_?" The girl shuddered by this new forth discovery, but not for the expected reasons.

"You know, your violence can't be stopped by words or reason, Shizu-chan. I'm no good with it. It's a real problem..." The bartender's victim - the informant Izaya Orihara - pulled out his switchblade. "Now let me go."

Seeing the informant cast his weapon at the bartender, the girl's trembling intensified. However, it wasn't that the sight of a man wielding a knife particularly terrified her. In fact, she wasn't concerned about him at all.

What did concern her was _who_ he was coming up against.

" _Violence_... _strong_... _he is strong?_ "

What was coming from Anri Sonohara's mind was not her own thoughts, but someone else's. Someone, or rather, _something_ within her was waiting to come out. It was waiting to come out at the right moment, a moment where Anri wished she could have avoided it all...

And to her misfortune, a group of angry thugs suddenly appeared from the street's corner, carrying various weapons. They ran to enclose the heated situation, surrounding her, her friends, the informant, and the bartender all at once.

Anri did not like where this was going _at all_ \- not for herself, not for her friends, and not even for the bartender as well.

Just when it couldn't get any worse...

 _ **THWACK!**_

In a hysterical moment, one of the thugs frantically ran from behind and bashed his large stick at Shizuo's head. Anri gasped in horror upon seeing the bartender agonize from the blow, blood pouring from his head and into the ground. However, the agony turned out to be temporary, as Shizuo quickly regained composure and stood still in an oddly tranquil manner. Calmly, Shizuo addressed his attacker.

"You aimed for my head, didn't you?"

 _This can't be real_ , thought Anri.

"You do understand that, if you don't do it right, a blow to the head can kill you, right?"

 _He got up like it was nothing._

"You did it understanding that, meaning you wanted to kill me, right?"

 _This man is so powerful, he's someone not to be reckoned with._

"So, no matter what happens..."

 _So much strength, so much power..._

"... _**you have no problem, right?!**_ "

In a heartbeat, the thug found himself out of his clothes as he was flung high up into the air.

The moment Shizuo punched the thug across the street, Anri felt a sharp sensation.

" _ **Strong, strong, he is strong, strong, strong, strong...**_ "

The sensation was coming from Saika, Anri's hidden sword. Saika always had a love for humans, but none of them could either excite the blade so much, _not like_ _this man_.

" _ **I love him, I love him, I love him, I love him...**_ "

The loud, relentless words overflowed Anri's mind, causing the girl to tremble more than she could handle. Anri always kept Saika under control with such ease. Now, it was loosening itself under her grip.

And it was all because of _him_.

The man who savagely attacked several thugs all at once. The man who threw a vending machine at his retreating enemy. The man who lunged at the tall Russian man when the latter intervened and caught the large object with his bare hands.

Anri cowered back, staring at the fearsome man. She had to get away from him, not only because of his temper, but because of _what_ could have happened if she had stayed longer.

The more Shizuo lashed out, the more Saika screamed for his love. It was only a matter of time until Anri completely loses it.

Just when it was too much to bear, she was suddenly grabbed by her classmate Mikado and ran off. They ran as far as they could until Shizuo was no longer in their sight. Anri was grateful for Mikado to do this, since who knows what could have happened if Saika had gone any further?

As long as Anri stayed away from the most fearsome man of Ikebukuro, she was safe.

As long as Shizuo stayed away from the infectious parasite girl, he _would_ be safe.

However, this wouldn't be the last time they would ever encounter one another.


	2. Meeting

Note: While the first chapter takes place in EP 3, this chapter takes place in EP 22.

* * *

The first time she actually met him, she thought that this was the man whom she _wanted_ to come across.

"Damn this beeping... It just won't stop freakin' beeping!"

Anri recognized that voice. The gruff, growling sound could only come from that one person whom Anri thought she should avoid at all costs - Shizuo Heiwajima. The bespectacled girl turned to see the bartender irritably waving his cellphone, a look of displeasure plastered on his face.

"I can't read that many words! Girls? Bunnies? _The hell you want me to do?!_ Damn it all..."

Shizuo couldn't stand how the Dollars were sending seemingly random texts at such an unreadable rate. But soon after, something else had caught his eye. Shifting his glance, he noticed what looked to be a bunch of thugs wearing yellow accessories ganging up on some small high school girl.

Oh wait, Shizuo recognized those thugs before - they were Yellow Scarves gangsters. He suddenly remembered how they almost had the gall to pick a fight with him, all while he was simply carrying coffee for his boss and himself.

And that girl... Shizuo swore he had seen her before, but he couldn't figure out _how_.

Whatever, the bartender was more bothered by the thugs' presence than the girl's. One of the thugs with a nosebleed stared nervously at him, and for some reason that immediately pissed Shizuo off. If there was one out of a million buttons that could set the strongest man of Ikebukuro off, it was reckless idiots giving him shady looks. He was already pissed about being unable to read so many texts at once, so these guys would make perfect punching bags!

Within a matter of seconds, Shizuo lunged at the thug with the nosebleed and propelled him up in the air. He then repeated the action with another random member as well, who ended up smashing into something that sounded like glass.

While the rest of the Yellow Scarves stared in utter horror, Anri stared in complete awe. She couldn't believe what was happening: _Shizuo Heiwajima_ saving _her_? Saving a girl whose cursed blade is utterly obsessed with him?

No, this wasn't the first time he had come to her rescue: Anri still recalled when he was with Celty, confronting one of Saika's possessed victims who tried to harm Anri. But that event was much more subtle compared to this.

This time, Ikebukuro's most violent man was the only one who came as Anri's knight in shining armor.

In the midst of all this, Saika did not react as excitedly as it once did the last time it interacted with Shizuo. Then again, failing to take control of him might have had something to do with it. Or it could be that its wielder was too fixated on the older man to notice Saika's repetition.

To its wielder, he was so frightening and yet... _so amazing_.

When Shizuo finished lashing out at the two Yellow Scarves thugs, he turned to the rest and delivered a glare that would kill someone if it was possible. Terrified, the rest of the group ran away, leaving the bartender and the girl alone for the first time. And for the first time in Anri's life, the quiet girl was filled with some form of excitement - not from Saika, but from _herself_.

There he was. The man who saved her life once. This amazing man who might be more than just an incarnation of violence. What can she say now that he was in her presence?

"Um... Thank you for saving me again."

To her surprise, the bartender only looked at her with a blank face. "Who are you, again?"

Before Anri could say anything, Celty arrived. Shizuo immediately turned his attention to the headless rider.

"Hey, I'm turning my phone off." Turning back, Shizuo waved nonchalantly. "See ya."

And just like that, he walked away. Nothing more, nothing less. Not even a simple " _You're welcome_ ," seemed to be enough of a response.

Turning to face Celty, Anri looked down, tears forming at her eyes. Why should she feel sad? They weren't close, so _of course_ it would make sense for him not to remember her name.

And yet... he didn't notice her. Like he didn't even _know_ she existed. He might as well attacked those thugs out of sheer annoyance rather than a benevolent cause. Oh, if only Anri wasn't too shy to protest about it! She just realized that she wanted to know him, but it seemed that her passiveness failed to close the gap between them.

She wanted to be close, but they were far away from each other.

Despite not having a head, Celty noticed Anri's sadness. Celty did not understand why, but the sight was enough for her to use her shadow to form a helmet around Anri. At least the girl wouldn't cry and cause a scene in public.

With that out of the way, Celty rode Anri back to her and Shinra's apartment.


	3. Recognition

Note: This may be a coincidence, but is it me or does Anri look _somewhat_ similar to the milk-lady from Shizuo's childhood? Both wear glasses, both have short black hair, and both have kindhearted personalities. _Kind_ of makes me wonder if Shizuo's inability to save the milk-lady (as well as not asking her name) has to do with not remembering Anri's name...

* * *

It's not like he lets a lot of things slip from his mind on purpose.

It's just that forgetfulness was a constant habit of Shizuo's, and one of the many bad habits he had developed when it comes to socialization.

Ever since childhood, all the blonde man could ever do was terrify people with his short-term temper and inhuman strength. With the exceptions of Tom, Celty, and Shinra, Shizuo never bothered to form connections with anyone else. After all, he always assumed that folks would run away as soon as they see his face. Because of this, memorizing names never became a priority to him - what use was there for it if you're trying to identify the ones who are all too willing to make a break for it?

However, forgetting people's names often made Shizuo come off as more of a jerk than he actually _is_.

In particular, Shizuo always had trouble remembering a certain girl's name - the black-haired one with the glasses, he recalled. Due to their infrequent interactions, the first thing he would always ask her whenever they met was, " _Who are you, again?_ "

Although the question seemed relatively harmless, Shizuo eventually realized that it was quite a rude thing to ask. Considering that was his only response whenever the girl expressed gratitude to him for saving her life or showed concern for his wounds, Shizuo felt terrible that he made himself look inconsiderate towards her.

But what else can he say? All he knew about the girl was that she goes to Raira Academy and is Celty's friend. Well, since she _is_ Celty's friend, that must mean that the girl is a good person. Other than that, the girl seemed rather quiet and polite. Definitely the complete opposite of Shizuo, now that he thought about it.

Funny, Shizuo did feel at times that he came across someone like her before. At first he couldn't recall it, but he painted a mental image: black hair, round glasses, soft-spoken voi-

 _Wait..._

Another person with black hair, round glasses, and a soft-spoken voice appeared in Shizuo's mind, but she wasn't by any means a pleasant memory.

 _No... no way_ , he thought.

Actually, the woman was indeed a pleasant person, but she suffered serious injuries due to one of his episodic rampages.

 _It can't be, it just can't be..._

An unpleasant rampage that haunted him for the rest of his life.

 _Dammit, why am I thinking about this right now?_

And all he could ever do was wonder if he could have ever done anything to fix that horrible event.

 _I must be imagining things..._

Because every time Shizuo looked at the young girl's face, all he could ever see was the female shopkeeper from his childhood.

The dark-haired shopkeeper who gave a little Shizuo milk every time he fractured his bones.

The bespectacled shopkeeper whom Shizuo grievously hurt when he tried to save her from a bunch of thugs.

The kindhearted shopkeeper whom Shizuo was too ashamed to ever see again.

To make it even more unnerving, Shizuo never caught the shopkeeper's name. Maybe that traumatic memory prevented him from remembering names from females that looked like her? Maybe that was the reason why he was so distant from the high school girl?

 _No, that'd be crazy,_ he thought.

He wondered whether or not he would bring himself to talk to her if they were to meet again. Maybe he should, just to disprove this coincidence.


	4. Talking

Note: This is based off the hotpot party scene from the 4th volume/2nd season's 4th episode/OVA. Also, the ending might be a bit rushed - it's been a while since I uploaded anything from this fic, after all.

* * *

 _[Hey, do you happen to be good at cooking by any chance?]_

Anri remembered the words from Celty's PDA when the Headless Rider appeared on her doorstep. Knowing that she was a terrible cook, Anri shook her head regrettably. If she were to lay a hand upon any kitchen equipment, who knows what could happen? A five-star meal would be out of her reach, that's for sure.

And somehow, the lack of culinary skill followed the bespectacled girl all the way to Celty's apartment. Pretty soon, she found herself observing the culinary exquisiteness of Mika Harima, along with Erika Karisawa and Seiji Yagiri; and soon after, she heard the newly-arrived Shinra Kishitani announce that they were going to host a hotpot party and invite a lot of their friends in the process.

At first, Anri didn't know how to react - she rarely ever attended parties, much less a hotpot one. In fact, she didn't even _know_ how to properly act in such a festive setting. It was only after the arrival of Erika's gang and Shinra's stepmother - as well as Mikado confirming his invitation over the phone - that Anri truly began to feel comfortable eating food with some familiar faces.

However, the arrival of another familiar face had put Anri's complete ease to the test.

"Ah, Shizuo! You're here!"

Anri immediately jolted upon hearing Shinra answer the door with welcome arms, only for the blonde man to return the greeting with a small grumble. _Heiwajima-san is here, too?_ she quickly thought. It was only the reminder that Shizuo was closely acquainted with Shinra and Celty that prevented her from asking why he was here (but not for hostile reasons).

Anri was serving drinks to various tables before she decided to take a brief look at the host and his new-found guest. Trying not to cause attention, she quietly crept away from the party-goers until she was near the hallway's entrance. Cautiously, Anri placed herself behind one of the entrance's sides, and tilted her head slightly so that she could see without exposing herself too much. What she saw was the jolly host repeatedly expressing his gratitude for the surprising appearance, while the dapper guest simply brushed off the enthusiastic comments as he tucked his blue sunglasses in his pocket.

Seeing the bartender without his sunglasses, Anri remarked on how relaxed Shizuo's features were. No bulging veins, no irritable scowl, no piercing glare - none of that at all. Instead, all he had was this serene look in his exposed amber eyes. It was quite a while ago since Anri last saw him, so she wondered if Shizuo had somehow changed by any chance.

Her observation didn't last long though - Shizuo quickly took notice of her protruding from the hallway's sides, causing the girl to cower in alarm. She hurriedly darted back to the party, trying to recover her composure.

Anri felt her heart pounding, but she couldn't figure out why. Was it the possibility of Saika going haywire again? Was it the possibility of seeing Shizuo again at a time like this? Or was it the possibility that the two would just brush paths again like she always expected?

 _He's going to ignore me again_ , she sadly thought.

Just then, a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Ah!"

Anri, startled by the sudden touch, promptly turned around to see whose hand it belonged to. The hand belonged to a dark, supernatural being alright.

Just not the bartender.

"C-Celty-san!"

Celty Sturluson had noticed Anri creeping away from the party, and had observed the girl's face when she was darting back. Knowing that she hardly acted like this, the Headless Rider typed on her PDA, [Anri, what's wrong?] Reading the question, Anri didn't know how to respond.

"Um... umm... it's, uh..." As she struggled to find the right words, Anri shifted her sights on Shizuo, who was now sitting with Erika's gang across the room. Soon, Celty looked in the same direction.

[Is it about someone who's here?]

"Uh, well..." Without coming up with a proper response, Anri slowly nodded. It only took a few seconds for Celty to figure out _who_ was Anri worried about.

[Is it about Shizuo?]

Surprised by how Celty quickly deduced the point-blank reason for her anxiety, Anri pursed her lips and looked downwards. What the bespectacled girl didn't know was that the Headless Rider also noticed how she ran away around the same time the bartender entered the festive scene. Embarrassed, Anri didn't want to cause problems with the co-host about her closest friend.

Then again, Celty knew that Anri was the wielder of Saika. She also knew that Saika was obsessed with Shizuo and tried to take possession of him, only to fail spectacularly in the process. And since Shizuo made complete sure to put the cursed blade in its rightful place, it didn't seem likely that Ikebukuro would suffer another Saika outbreak again.

Come to think of it, Celty remembered of how Anri got upset as soon as Shizuo left after the Dollars' successful rescue mission. Maybe something bad happened between them? Celty would be shocked if they shared any bad blood, because she knew that both of them weren't hostile people - well, Shizuo's not if someone didn't actively piss him off. Whatever the case, the party seemed like a good opportunity for the two to patch things up, and maybe even get to know each other better.

Celty continued typing, making Anri break from her downward gaze. [Hey now, don't get so worked up.]

"Huh?"

[We're at a party right now, so you'll feel better if you stay relaxed at the moment.]

"Oh, right..." Anri eased herself upon realizing where she was. In order to help her ease even further, Celty typed down a surprising request.

[For starters, why don't you offer him something to drink?]

Anri blinked upon reading the request. "A drink?"

[Yes, a drink.]

"I'm not so sure..."

[Don't worry. Shizuo may seem like a grump most of the time, but deep down he's a really nice person.]

Despite some hesitations, Anri ultimately decided to trust Celty. The Black Rider was Shizuo's good friend after all. "Is that so..."

[You'll like him, I promise. And I can also guarantee that he'll like you too.]

Anri couldn't help but flush a bit by her words. Celty probably meant it in a friendly way, but still...

* * *

Meanwhile, Shizuo was across the room, ignoring the otaku babbling coming out of Erika and her friend Walker Yumasaki's mouths. Chatterboxes were another button that set him off, but he ultimately decided to spare them just for Kyohei Kadota's sake. Besides, Saburo Togusa already got that part handled.

"Dammit, when will you two ever stop blabbering about your anime obsession _just for freakin' once?!_ "

Shizuo let out a resigned sigh. He knew that Togusa was never going anywhere with those two, them being stuck in their 2D dreamland after all. It was times like these that Shizuo wished there were more peaceful folks at the party, like Kadota or Celty.

Or maybe that girl he noticed earlier...

Speaking of which, a soft, feminine voice called out to him.

"H-hello..."

Shizuo broke from his train of thought and looked up to see who it was.

"It's been a while, Heiwajima-san." She was standing like a shy waitress, clutching a tray to her chest.

"Oh, it's you. Uh..." It was hard for him to resist the urge to ask her name again.

"Anri Sonohara," the girl quickly said, bowing slightly as a form of politeness. "I mean, that is my name - Anri Sonohara."

Shizuo was stunned. Did this girl predict exactly what he was going to say? He really needed to improve the way he introduces himself to her.

"Um, may I get you something to drink? Juice? Beer?"

Not wanting to come off as more awkward than before, Shizuo gave his brief answer. "Milk would be fine. Please."

 _Milk?_ thought Anri. It surprised her to hear a request like that, since milk wasn't something typically served at hotpot parties. But Anri didn't have any objections, so she headed to the fridge to get the carton of milk. Returning back, she delivered the carton to him. "Here you go."

"Thanks," replied Shizuo. As he opened the carton, he brought himself to ask Anri a somewhat obvious question. "So, uh... not to sound blunt, but... how did you know what I was gonna say next?"

"Hmm?"

"Just earlier, when you introduced yourself to me."

"Oh, right..." said Anri. A small red tint appeared on her cheeks. "It's just that, well... you would always ask for my name whenever we met, but I was never able to tell you. So here I am now, telling you who I am." Anri bowed again. "I'm sorry if I came off as too abrupt though."

Like Shizuo thought, he _really_ needed to improve the way he introduces himself to the girl. "No, if there's anyone that should be sorry, it's me. I suck at remembering names, that's all." If his words weren't sincere, then his regretful expression certainly was.

Anri's blush intensified. While she had humble thoughts, she felt surprisingly touched in how the bartender had actually regretted not remembering her name. She always thought that he didn't care for her much; but even then, she didn't hold any grudges against him. "Y-you don't have to apologize! We never saw each other often, so I thought it was expected for you to not get my name the first time!"

"Or the second," muttered Shizuo, who still recalled the time when the girl expressed concern for his gunshot wounds.

"It doesn't matter! I wasn't bothered by it at all, really!" Well, not _completely_ , but Anri didn't want to put all the blame on him. "Sonohara isn't a name to be easily remembered anyways!"

"Well, can I just call you Anri?"

Anri's heart skipped a beat. They weren't even close friends, yet already he was asking to refer to her by her first name. But considering Shizuo's nature, and the fact that her name was short enough for him to remember, she might as well go with it. "Y-yes..." answered Anri, breathlessly.

With that confirmation, a small, relieved smile appeared on Shizuo's lips. "Anri, huh? Not a bad name, now that I think about it."

Anri felt that she did more than enough to serve the bartender. "Um, if you need anything, I'll just be over there..." She turned around and was about to leave the table.

"Hey," Shizuo called.

Anri turned to face him.

"When this is over, do you wanna chat outside?"


	5. Comfort

Note: Scene takes place in 5th volume/2nd season's 8th episode.

* * *

"Heiwajima-san?"

"An?"

The formal and half-remembered greetings slipped through their mouths as the two caught eyes yet again in the same building. But not for the same reasons.

Anri was dropped off by Celty, who quickly explained to the three men why the former had to stay here before heading off. The three men—Shizuo, Tom, and Shinra—weren't bothered at all by the high school girl's presence, but they wondered how could someone like her end up in a situation like that. However, two of the men didn't bother fretting on it: the back-alley doctor and the debt collector went snoozing on the bed and living room floor, respectively.

This left the bartender and the high school girl sitting at the kitchen table, discussing about the recent events.

"Tch. So some guys tried to attack you, huh? Those bastards," Shizuo growled, his finger tapping on the counter irritably. He tried his best not to raise his voice, for he didn't want to wake up Tom across the connected living room.

Anri did nothing but nod her head. She too was confused on why it happened to her, but she didn't feel the need to make a fuss about it.

" _Grah_ , just thinking about it is making me so _angry_ right now." He _really_ tried his best not to raise his voice.

Tilting her head down, Anri avoided the man's scowl. She felt terrible in making him tense at a time like this. "I'm sorry..." she mumbled under her breath.

"Sorry? For what for?"

"For making you uneasy due to my situation..."

"Hey, if you're apologizing because you got attacked by some thugs, then don't bother!" Shizuo's tone almost turned venomous, for his not-quite-audible hissing made the girl tremble restlessly. He softened upon realizing how he had made her feel. "I'm sorry, it's just..." He sighed. "I'm not mad at you, it's just that I can't imagine _why_ would anyone want to attack you. You're not the type to attract enemies—unlike me, of course."

"..."

"Like just today, some little girl outta nowhere went up to me and tazed me, telling me to die. She followed me all the way here, repeating the same thing over and over. Oh well, she's asleep now, so who knows what she'll do when she wakes up."

"Huh?" Anri blinked in surprise. She did not expect to hear something like that. "Heiwajima-san..."

"You know, you can just call me 'Shizuo.' I don't mind it, really."

"Er, Shizuo-san—" The honorific didn't bother the man. "A little girl tried to attack you?"

He nodded. It was hard for Anri to imagine a kid picking a fight with Ikebukuro's fighting machine. Thugs and gangsters, yes—but a _child_? At least Shizuo didn't seem the type of person who would deliberately harm children.

"Really, I don't understand how the kid got a taser gun in the first place, or why she wants me dead. I just don't know..." Shizuo trailed off, his no-longer-tapping hand clenched into a fist. His tone spilled into a mix of confusion and somberness.

"Shizuo-san, I guess that makes two of us."

Before the man knew it, a gentle hand was placed upon his. It never occurred to him that he would find a kindred spirit in the midst of all this confusion.


	6. Calling

Lying on her bed, Anri scrolled through the contacts in her cellphone. Reaching her destined spot, she mumbled the name right in front of her.

"Shizuo Heiwajima..."

She recalled the blonde man giving her his number in the aftermath of the hotpot party, telling her to call him if she ever felt like it. However, she wasn't sure whether he would respond or not. If he had something important to do at the moment, she didn't want to become a nuisance to him.

But still, it _would_ be nice to have someone to talk to—especially with Kida gone and Mikado acting completely strange lately. (The latter even started to distance himself from her, much to her confusion.) Her two closest friends, the ones she depended on the most, were now drifting away in the sea of secrets and problems. It was time for the lonely girl to look for someone who at least anchored their problems on land.

Dialing down the number, Anri waited as the phone took its time.

 _Brrrrring...brrrrring...brrrrring..._

" _Hello?_ "

"Hello, Shizuo-san? It's Anri."

" _Anri? Oh hey, what's up?_ "

"Oh—um, nothing much. I just wanted to see how you're doing, that's all," the girl responded with a shy smile. Hearing the man's pleased tone eased her from thinking she was bothering him.

" _I'm doing fine, thank you. I just got out of work for today, and for the first time in forever I didn't have to deal with some idiot giving me crap about paying back his dues._ "

Anri couldn't help but chuckle, amused by the cheery way Shizuo described his day. Typical Shizuo. But then, she brought herself to ask something. "Umm, by any chance, are you busy at this moment? Or maybe even for the weekend?" She could feel herself swallow just by that bold question alone.

A brief pause. " _No, I'm free this weekend. Why?_ "

"Do you... do you maybe want to hang out?"

* * *

Note: I apologize for the months-long hiatus to enthusiastic readers; it's just that I'm busy with schoolwork and two fanfics I'm working on—though they won't be posted on this website. How do I say this... they're too _racy_ for this site's standards—like, "delete adult content standards"—so I'm not willing to risk it. However, I will say this... one of them is ShizuAnri-centered, _very intimately so_. ;)


	7. Time

Note: It's been a little over a year since I last updated this... (Apologies! Blame busy school life, writer's block, etc.) Anyway, I decided to write something in a little different style than the previous chapters.

* * *

Saturday afternoon, Ikebukuro.

Crowds of people were bustling through the streets as they headed to the city's malls, cafes, and parks, for it was the perfect time to walk out of their busy lives and into urban relaxation.

In the midst of all this, a small lone figure stood still on the sidelines. She was tugging at her black sweatshirt dress, wondering if the outfit would be enough for the occasion.

No, _occasion_ sounded too fancy. It was more of a casual hangout, nothing more, but the girl still had the lingering thought of wanting to look nicer for him.

Speaking of him, she eyed her surroundings. Where was he? Was he going to come? It was quite bold of her to ask him out like this, especially considering his reputation around the city.

Wait... _ask him out?_

The girl paused from her train of thought, only to be interrupted by the screeching of amorous voices within her. She pushed them aside. The screeching could only mean that he must be nearby, nothing more; the girl didn't bother dwelling on other reasons why the voices were acting up.

She looked amidst the crowd until she saw a man in his typical bartender uniform, looking around for her. Time took its course as she ran up to him, pleased that he had made it here.

The first place they went was a sushi restaurant. Known for its bizarre flavors and foreign employees, its exotic-yet-familiar atmosphere made it a common hangout in the city. A towering black waiter seemed surprised upon seeing the unlikely duo, but he welcomed them as customers, regardless. After sitting down and being served with a platter of sashimi, the man offhandedly commented whether the sashimi might get him arrested or not, causing the girl to briefly gawk at the morbid joke.

Throughout their stay, they began discussing about various subjects. The comforting fish (and not flesh) taste of the sashimi. The reminiscent anecdotes from the hotpot party. How surprised she was to find out that his favorite drink was milk. How proud he felt when he finally called her by her first name.

Their common friend, the headless dullahan. How the man had met her in high school and confided to her about his problems. How the girl had met her when she saved her from a stabber and praised her for her abilities. How they both acknowledged the endless kindness the dullahan carried despite endless opposition from the cops and other narrow-minded folks. How they both acknowledged the deep admiration they felt for her.

Their personal lives. How the high school the man had gone to changed from where the girl was currently at. How the girl became curious of his outfit when she learned he was not a true bartender. How he cracked an awkward but far more pleasant joke of not worrying about the pace of his damaged suits, like his brother spending money on them. How she unexpectedly chuckled despite not being the kind of person who would understand a joke.

Both of them were in deep conversation; so deep in fact, that they had failed to realize the bewildered stares directed at them by the customers. The blissful ignorance cracked for a moment when a male customer glared at them while walking to the restroom, causing the man to glare back with a grunt of what the hell was he looking at, a popped vein on his temple; the customer darted headfirst through the door, while the girl waved her hands to try to calm him down. The black waiter eventually came in and spoke through broken tongue of not to worry about them, for as long as the duo was bringing good business, who should care of who comes in and who should not?

Some time later, they left the restaurant, with the man bowing his head and apologizing for his behavior and the girl calmly smiling and reassuring that she had no hard feelings. They then went to a bakery to lighten the mood, ordering some cakes and pastries for their way back to their apartments.

In that moment, time turned immeasurable to count. Estimates of seconds—if they were even the proper amounts—seemed useless given what happened next.

Time remaining until they walked out to the street: ten seconds.

Time remaining until she tripped on some rubble: nine seconds.

Time remaining until he caught her by her waist: eight seconds.

Time remaining until she still felt the bag in her hand: seven seconds.

Time remaining until she felt herself blushing: six seconds.

Time remaining until she saw her heels from her head: five seconds.

Time remaining until she fell head over heels for him:

* * *

Another Note: As for the erotic fanfic for AO3, it's still in progress, but I plan on finishing it this year! I promise!


	8. Reminiscing

Note: Scene is based off from 7th volume/Ten EP 3. It took me a while to notice that Akabayashi and Anri's mother share _many_ similarities to Shizuo and Anri, that sometimes I wonder if the author made it a coincidence or not. (Also, Happy Valentine's Day!)

* * *

"Akabayashi-san?"

"Hey, is that you, Anri-chan?"

The formal and casual greetings slipped through their mouths as the girl and her family friend—a tall, scarred man in a suit with a walking stick—caught eyes outside an antique store.

"You're so grown up now! What's it been, two years?"

"Yes. Long time no see." Anri bowed her head, unperturbed by her friend's—Mizuki Akabayashi's—normally intimidating appearance. The courtesy was soon followed by curiosity, however. "Why are you here?"

Referring to why he was outside the desolate, but cherished antique store—Sonohara Hall—he gave a slight chuckle and replied, "Oh, I just happened to be in the neighborhood." They then entered a brief discussion about how she was doing at school, and the redhead couldn't help but be amazed of how far she had come.

"Um, I'm really grateful for all you did back then."

"You say that every time we meet, but you really don't have to worry about it," Akabayashi remarked, flattered by another bow from Anri. "The mistress... your mom, that is... She did a lot for me, you know."

"But... If you haven't saved me from that day, I don't know what would've become of me..."

Her grateful smile proved a point though. Ever since she had lost her parents in a tragedy, Anri found herself under the unofficial wing of Akabayashi, who told her that he owed her parents a favor and provided her the basic requirements, including an apartment and a savings fund not to be touched until she turned eighteen. Despite having a strong footing in the underworld (much to her ignorance), he truly wanted to protect her from the lurking dangers within the city.

The scarred man smiled warmly, but quickly fell into a serious expression. "Hey, listen. There's something I wanted to ask you about the latest trends at school..."

The girl reminded him that she wasn't very good at keeping up with trends, but he assured her to tell him what she already knew regardless. "Have you ever heard of the Dollars?"

Her breath briefly caught in her throat, puzzling him through his tinted glasses. She merely answered that she had heard some friends talking about it, nothing more.

"I see. Well, I hear they're a pretty dangerous bunch, so you'd better stay away from them."

Anri obediently nodded from his request—but that wasn't the only danger Akabayashi wanted to bring up.

"Oh, and another thing, I happened to see you with that bartender the other day."

A far more audible gasp filled the air, (not?) surprising him to know that she had a much stronger reaction to the infamous man than a troublesome gang. If he didn't examine her downward gaze long enough, he wouldn't have noticed the peachy flush that was settling within her cheeks.

"Was that supposed to be a secret? Isn't he a little too wild for you to hang around with?"

"Heiwajima-san is not a bad person," Anri defensively stated. Akabayashi could tell that she had to downplay their relationship by referring to his last name. "He may come off as brash at times, but he's really a kind man deep down. He's not so bad once you get to know him." She paused for a moment, sensing that the scarred man didn't seem convinced enough. "He's never been in any way violent towards me, nor has he ever put my life in danger. He wouldn't even dream of it."

"Still, he has enemies, you know," Akabayashi said. "Maybe someday some thugs might get back at him by hurting someone he cares about. And what if he flies into a blind rage one day and ends up hurting you in the process?" The harsh reminder sent a terribly bleak chill down her spine, freezing her hopeful spirits, to which his expression softened. "Please, Anri-chan, just be careful around him, okay? If anything ever goes wrong, I want you to come to me without any hesitation."

"... Okay." Another nod, albeit reluctantly, came from the girl yet again. She didn't know whether she should argue back or simply resign by his warning, but she was interrupted when a classmate—Yagiri-kun, as she referred to him—called her name. Apparently, he wanted to talk with her about something related to his girlfriend.

"All right, I'll be taking off now." Akabayashi turned and walked away from the scene, waving at Anri without ever looking back.

And as he walked away, he began to scratch his head over her newfound friendship with Ikebukuro's ticking time bomb.

Quite frankly, he didn't know what to make of it. He already _knew_ that Shizuo Heiwajima was not an inherently bad man; after all, he was the one who saved little Akane Awakusu from Russian kidnappers, and Akabayashi was forever grateful to him for that. However, being grateful at a distance and spending a lot of time with someone were two very different things.

Judging by Anri's embarrassed flush from earlier, it was clear that she had developed some sort of affection for him. To what _extent_ of the affection wasn't shown, but Akabayashi knew of the ever-common scandalous tales of teenage girls going after older men. While she definitely wasn't the loose type, what if Anri found herself to be a victim of nasty rumors regarding their closeness? What if Heiwajima ended up taking advantage of her? What if he blew up one day and put her life in danger, even if it was by accident?

The last part was far more concerning to him than the other two, but his line of thinking was a little bit hypocritical to his own admission. It's not like being a high-ranking member of the Awakusu-Kai was an entirely safe profession either; to leave Anri in the dark about it may bring more repercussions than benefits in the future, though in what way wasn't delved by him.

Akabayashi gave a deep sigh. Really, he swore that maybe it was life's twist of fate to have the girl associate herself with dangerous men.

 _Heh... dangerous men, huh?_

He mused at the passing thought, which eventually bloomed into a kind of sweet reminisce. Back when he used to be a bodyguard for a previous yakuza. Back when he used to be a violent man.

But he didn't reminisce over those things. No, those things were long dead to him now. What he _did_ reminisce though was the scar given to him over his right eye. Given to him by _her_.

The only woman he ever loved.

That ghostly, glowing, red-eyed woman who had stolen his heart with her blade—and stabbed it when she rejected his love, stating she had a husband and a daughter. Right nearby Sonohara Hall—the place where he had been originally ordered to attack the store owner, her husband.

Pulling himself through his crippling rejection, he had brought himself to ask the bewitching woman who her name was, and she replied, _Sayaka Sonohara_. From then on, he treasured her name in his wounded heart, keeping it locked within him with no intention of ever letting it out. He would never forgive himself if he ever forgot her name and beauty, even as her spirit lived on, watching over him and her daughter.

Akabayashi gave himself a small chuckle. _A violent man attracted to a Sonohara_ , he mused to himself. While he never fully acknowledged it, he saw a lot of his former self in the young bartender: reckless, hotheaded, utterly ruthless, quietly merciful. It was almost like history repeating himself.

However, the rules of attraction shouldn't apply to Anri and Heiwajima—not with the Red Devil around at least. But he knew that Anri wouldn't stay a little girl forever. Soon she would blossom into a young woman, fully prepared to make life choices.

And maybe, when she turned old enough, if her affection towards the bartender bloomed into something more, then who was he to object? He could only pray that she knew how to handle him, and that he would treat her well without any suspicions.

Or, at the very least, fulfill an old attraction that never bloomed beyond a slashed bud.


End file.
